Blood Red Lotus
by Arbil
Summary: 3 girls who appeared to be normal human beings showed up. 3 girls who changed 3 people's lives. RenOC HoroOC HaoOC. Warning, may be Mary-sue. I suck at summaries.
1. New Student

A/N: My first Shaman King fic, please don't be too harsh on me. While I don't guarantee anything, this is bound to be a Mary-Sue (or else how'd you expect Hao to fall in love?) The focus, of course should be Ren but there's other pairings. I hope I can do this convincingly. Maa, hajimeyou ka?

Disclaimer: All copyrights of Shaman King does not belong to me, but I own the OCs.

"…" talk

'…' thoughts

= = = = changes in scene/time

Chapter 1: New Student

The sky was streaked with bands of orange, its grey hue slowing turning blue. A golden line far to the horizon slowly grew; tinting everything its rays touched a golden orange. Somewhere on the hill facing the sun, a girl watched the sunrise, enraptured. Dawn's light reflected in her mystic grey eyes. When the sun had rose, she left the rock she had been sitting on.

= = = =

At Shinlagakuen High School

Students grouped together, their noisy banter filling the room. Near the back of the class, an extremely short boy stood next to his classmate's desk, a smile on his face as he chatted happily with the brown-haired boy. Standing over the little boy, was a blond girl. She looked on icily as her fiancé listened to what his friend had to say, a smile playing on his lips. Suddenly, everyone scrambled back to their seats as the teacher entered the classroom. As they settled down after greeting him, the teacher began to make an announcement. "Minna, today we have a new student joining us." On cue, the classroom door slid open and a girl walked in. Long brown locks tied in a ponytail, she looked at the class with shining grey eyes. "Watashi wa Kibouno Shizu desu. Minna, hajimemashite." Shizu bowed and smiled. "I hope everyone will get along with her. Kibouno-san, there is an empty seat behind Asakura-san." "Hai." As Shizu seated herself, the headphones-bearing boy turned in his seat and greeted her. "Yo! Oira wa Asakura Yoh." "Hajimemashite, Asakura-kun."

= = = =

After school

The moment the bell rang, the class erupted into noisy laughter and talking. As Shizu slowly packed her books, Yoh and his friends gathered at her desk. "Asakura-kun, modoru desu ka?" "Aa. Sou da! Kochi wa tomodachi Oyamada Manta." Manta nodded and smiled, "Hajimemashite." "Yoroshiku." The blond introduced herself, "Kyouyama Anna." "Yoroshiku, Kyouyama-san." Shizu responded in a respectful tone. Together, they walked down the corridors, talking along the way. "Kibouno-san, where are you from?" Manta asked politely. "I just came back from Malaysia (that's where I live!)" "Malaysia?" Yoh looked puzzled, prompting a laugh from Shizu. Manta shook his head and explained to his best friend, "It's a country in the Southeast Asia region." "Sou!" Shizu smiled, glad someone knew of the country where she had spent the last five years. "I moved there five years ago, and I came back to Japan a few days ago." "Heh…" Yoh nodded in understanding. "De, Asakura-kun, where do you live?" "Funbari Onsen. Say, would you like to stop by?" Shizu hesitated. "Ii no desu ka?" Both Yoh and Manta turned to look at Anna. "…Ryu is cooking today." They took it that Anna allowed Shizu to come.

= = = =

At Funbari Onsen, Shizu's POV

I was rather surprised to see the building Asakura-kun called home. It looked like… "A motel." Kyouyama-san said to me. I nodded absently. It almost seemed like she read my mind. Asakura-kun just walked in, "Tadaima." "O kaeri nasai, Yoh-kun, Anna-san." A deathly pale man, with a head of blonde hair and bag under his eyes, greeted us. 'Woah, he's definitely not Japanese!' "I see we have a guest." Asakura-kun introduced me, "Aa, this is our classmate, Kibouno Shizu. Shizu, this is Faust." "Yoroshiku, Faust-san. Anou, Faust-san is…?" I cast a glance at Asakura-kun. "Boku wa isya desu." "Doctor?" "Sou." Kyouyama-san confirmed. Faust-san moved aside to let us in. I followed my newly acquainted friends into what most likely was the living room. After settling ourselves, Oyamada-kun began to ask, "Kibouno-san, what country is Malaysia like?" "Multi-racial. It's a nice place to live in, though I missed Japan." "Oh, Shizu, you're from Japan?" "Un. This is actually my birthplace." Kyouyama-san just raised her eyebrows slightly. Suddenly, a question popped into my head. "Anou, Asakura-kun…" "Yoh." I smiled and resumed, "Yoh-kun, are you living together with Anna-san? Oh, er, sumimasen for using your name directly, Kyouyama-san." "It's fine. And as to your question, yes, we live together." "May I ask why? I'm just curious." "I'm his fiancée." Realization dawned upon me as I nodded, "Naruhodo."

"Okami, lunch is ready. Oh?" An Elvis look-a-like suddenly entered the room. Before I knew what was happening, a bouquet of roses was in front of my face. "Miss, would you please go on a date with me?" "Er…" From behind me, I heard Yoh-kun saying, "Meet Ryu." "Ahehehe, Ryu-san, hajimemashite." I gave a nervous laugh and stepped back. Anna-san just glared at Ryu, who hurriedly put away the flowers and ran out, saying that lunch was ready.

Lunch was a pleasant affair, which involved a lot of talking about each of us. Manta-kun was just telling me about how he came to meet Yoh-kun when we heard a loud 'Hn.' I turned in my seat to see the source of it. There, leaning against the door frame, was a boy no older than Yoh-kun. His appearance struck me instantly. His hair had one pointed spike and it was an almost dark purple colour. It reminded me of the late evening sky. Then, he turned and locked eyes with me. Those sharp golden eyes made a strong impression on my mind's eyes. It was only for a second, as he turned to face Yoh-kun. Before he could ask, Yoh-kun said, "She's our new classmate, Kibouno Shizu. Shizu, this is Tao Ren." I found my voice and replied quickly, "Yoroshiku, Ren-kun." I was surprised at how smoothly that name rolled off my tongue.

Ren's POV

The first thing that caught my attention when I entered the room was the unfamiliar girl sitting at the dining table. The moment I met her eyes, I almost backed up in surprise. Her eyes were grey, almost silver and held gentleness in them. It also made her seem somewhat mysterious. I turned to regard the Japanese shaman I had come to call a friend. He seemed to read my mind and answered before I could ask, introducing her as his new classmate. "Yoroshiku, Ren-kun." She said it like we have known each other for a long time and it was perfectly natural for her to address me that way. Seeming to realize that, she looked down, embarrassed. I just nodded to acknowledge her presence. "Want to join us, Ren?" "I only eat Chinese." Yoh just laughed lightly.

After a little while of chatting (in which I did not participate) the girl, Shizu got up. "It's late and I think I should go now." "Would you like us to walk you?" Ryu lit up, eyes turning into hearts. "Iie, arigatou." Ryu's face fell. "I'd like to look at the stars while I walk." I merely raised an eyebrow. 'She must like nature.' "Oyasumi nasai." As she closed the door behind her, I got up to leave as well, waving a goodnight to the others.

Hajimemashite-Nice to meet you (Directly translated, it's something like 'This is the first time I meet you.')

Yoroshiku-Nice to meet you (another way of saying it.)

Oira-I (a term Yoh use to refer to himself. Accordingly, this term is usually used by boys from the countryside, as opposed to the more formal 'watashi/watakushi')

Modoru-Return/Go back

Ii no desu ka?-Is it alright?/Is it okay?

Isya-Doctor

Sumimasen-Excuse me

Naruhodo-I see

Okami-Madam (What Ryu calls Anna)

Iie-No

Arigatou-Thank you.

A/N: How's that for the first chapter? I hope that was satisfactory. Please review to let me know what you think. Flames accepted. No pointless ones though. Arigatou and ja ne! : )


	2. Seeing Double

A/N: Gomenasai! Gomenasai! Gomenasai!! I'm sorry I can't update sooner. I stored the second chapter into a floppy and then gave it to friend so she could print a certain document. When it came back, I couldn't open it! Uu… I had to rewrite the whole chapter… Well, this chapter should be interesting. And thanks to the following reviewers.

yaoikid-Thanks for your review and encouragement! : )

chocolate5-Knowing Horo Horo, it should turned out hilarious. Thanks for the review. : )

Kitsune-I can't say it'll come soon, but I can promise you that they'll be things between the Ren and Shizu. Thanks. : )

cutieangel-Thanks for the review. Yeah, a lot of people say that about the translation. My bad, but I have no idea what'll be in Japanese so I put the translation at the bottom. : )

Nat-Thanks! : )

Now, for your information, the romance won't be so early into the story. I don't do overnight relationships. I mean, how can two people just decide they are meant for each other unless they've known each other for quite some time? It's just so…surreal. I believe in building up relationships, so you might not see any signs of fluff or stuff in the first few chapters. Now then, on with the story.

Disclaimer: If I owned SK, I'd make Ren-kun mine!

"…" talk

'…' thoughts

= = = = changes in scene/time

Chapter 2: Seeing Double

The night sky was sprinkled with stars. There was no moon that night, just stars. Yoh leaned back, head tilted to the sky. He was watching the stars with a smile on his lips, the bright stars reflected in his obsidian eyes. They're such beautiful things, they were. But the stars also reminded him of a particular person. That person loved stars so much, he had them on his earrings, on his pants and even named his team after it. A shuffle on his right told Yoh that his best friend had just walked up to him. "Kirei da yo ne." "Aa." Manta sat down beside Yoh. Stealing a glance at him, he could tell, the shaman was probably thinking of his elder twin. Asakura Hao. Yoh's twin brother, a reincarnated shaman of incredible power and 1000 years of knowledge. The pyromaniac wanted to capture the Great Spirit as his own and with it, create a world where only the stronger shamans may live. For him, human beings were simply insignificant.

"Shizu-san seems like a nice person, ne?" Manta commented. Yoh nodded, "Aa. She can't see spirits but she's a nice person. Amidamaru would probably like to meet her. Ne, Amidamaru?" A ghost suddenly materialized beside Yoh. He had armour on and had blue-grey hair. "Sou de gozaru yo, Yoh-dono." "Sou da, how's Mosuke doing?" "He's fine but I left him at home today. He didn't really like the idea of recharging though." "Three years of being stuck in a laptop and you'd think he was used to it." Yoh laughed. Manta grinned, "He says it feels really weird, so I told him to move into my personal computer first while I recharged the laptop. I just hope no one touches the computer, they'll get a huge shock." They laughed at the thought of Mosuke's face popping out of a computer screen and the person who switched it on falling back in shock.

= = = =

Somewhere in the streets

"Neesan, I understand you like shopping and yes, we probably need some stuff, demo…" Ren balanced the bags and packages as carefully as he could. "Isn't this too much?" Going shopping with Jun was always like this. "Why don't you ask Pailong?" he grumbled. "He'd attracted too much attention. Imagine, a dead man walking among the living. Onegai ne, Ren. It's just a little longer." "Fine." The things blocked his view, and he walked headlong into someone. Tumbling backwards, he landed painfully on the pavement. "Gomenasai! Daijoubu desu ka?" cried a somewhat familiar voice. He opened his eyes to stare into mystic grey orbs. Shizu was surprised, "Ren-kun?!" "Sh-Shizu."

A little while later, all the fallen objects had been collected and they sat together in a café. Ren introduced her sister, "Ore no neesan, Tao Jun. This is Kibouno Shizu, Yoh's new classmate." "Yoroshiku, Jun-san." "Ara, kawaii no musume da ne." Shizu blushed a bit and bowed her head down, "S-Sonna! Jun-san mo totemo kirei desu!" "Sonna…" Jun laughed. Shizu turned to Ren, "It's such a coincidence to bump into you and your oneesan in the street, Ren-kun." Ren said nothing. He merely nodded. Suddenly, the bell rang, indicating that some customers had entered the shop. Ren recognized them immediately. Ryu saw them and waved. They headed quickly to their table. Shizu kept quiet and looked back and forth a pair of boy and girl with light blue hair.

Ren's POV

Horo Horo eyed Shizu with a cheeky grin, "Kawaii ne. Ren, is this your girlfriend?" My ears burned. "Chi-Chigau! She's Yoh's friend." On cue, Shizu stood up and introduced herself. She had a tint of pink on her cheeks too. "Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Kibouno Shizu desu." "Horo Horo. Kochi wa imouto, Pilika." Pilika bowed slightly, "Yoroshiku." Before long, we were seated together and Shizu was busy answering queries. Neesan and Pilika particularly were doing the questioning. I sweatdropped at neesan's attitude. "Malisha? Where's that?" "It's Malaysia, oniichan!" "Yeah, where's that?" I snorted. 'If there's a bigger idiot than him, it'll be Chocolove.' Neesan patiently explained the position of Malaysia while Ryu was just too busy staring at my sister to listen. When Shizu got to where she was currently studying, the Ainu snickered, "Gee, here I thought Ren got himself a cute girlfriend." "Nandato, kisama?" "Kanojo wa hoshii…" sighed Horo Horo. "With the likes of you, it isn't surprising why you don't have one." Horo Horo jumped up, a vein popping on his head. "Nani o?!" "You're too thick. That's why you _can't _get a girlfriend." "Kono-" A small laugh broke the argument up and everyone turned to regard the brown-haired girl. Shizu smiled apologetically. "Gomenasai, demo, you argue like brothers." "Him? Brother?!" "No way!" Shizu just smiled knowingly. Soon after, she had to leave.

= = = =

At night school (or was it cram school?)

"Ne, Manta-kun. I don't understand this." Shizu could be seen inquiring Manta about their latest lesson. Manta patiently explained as Shizu nodded now and then. "Heh, now I get it! You're so smart Manta-kun!" Manta smiled sheepishly with a hand on the back of his head. "Nani…" As Shizu packed her books, she asked the short boy to stop by her house for a drink. Manta agreed. They had a bit of a conversation while walking to Shizu's home. "We're here." Manta was surprised to find a rather large and old looking building. No, not old as in dusty and rickety. It had a sort of ancient feel to it, a sense of it being there since a long time. Shizu took out her keys and unlocked the heavy wooden door. "Come in." she held the door open for him. Once inside, Shizu made some tea. Manta meanwhile took the time to look around. The house had Western features. There were two stories, four rooms, the ones upstairs have balconies. Towards the back of the house was a kitchen. The place looked very clean. "Dozo." Shizu said as she placed a cup of tea in front of him. "Arigatou." Manta slowly sipped the tea. It was of a western brand and tasted sweet, unlike the usual bitterness in the Japanese tea he had. "This place is pretty big." Shizu just smiled. 'If they come, then it'll be just right.' "I didn't know there was a house in this area." Manta mused. "I found it rather…accidentally, as well." After a while, Manta bid Shizu goodnight and left.

= = = =

Shizu's POV

Ah…the thing I loved about days off was that I didn't have to do anything. I could relax all I like. The breeze rustled the leaves of the trees and the thick foliage gave plenty of shade. 'This place is just so beautiful.' I smiled silently to myself. This forest offered the quiet and tranquility I needed to get away from the pressure of life. Here I could think and relax. And with no one around… I let my eyes drift shut as I remained on my feet. Slowly, the delicate presence of the forest made itself know. I grew increasingly aware of the slight sounds. 'It's close…' Suddenly, "Chit! Chit!" I jerked out of my trance. 'What was that?' I walked around, trying to pinpoint the source of anguished chirping. "Oh, you poor little bird." I knelt down next to the naked chick at the foot of a tree. I scooped it up gently, taking care not to hold it too tightly. Looking up at the tree. I spotted its nest, "Wow, amazing that you survived a fall from that height." Putting the chick into my pocket, I slowly began to climb. It wasn't exactly hard and I soon reached the nest. Carefully, I returned the chick to its nest.

"There, you're home now." There was a chirp. I laughed lightly, "No need to thank me." I watched the little chick. "You have a very strong will to survive. That is what saved you. Well, bye now little bird." I stood up on the branch. Turned out to be a very stupid thing to do. It snapped under my weight and I began to fall. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the impact to hit me. I did felt something, though it wasn't as hard as I thought. Noticing that I had not broken my back yet, I opened my eyes. I realized I was in someone's arms. Tilting my head up to see the person who caught me, I couldn't help the gasp that escaped. Midnight black eyes stared back into my grey ones. 'Other than the hair and outfit…' "Daijoubu ka?" the stranger asked me gently. "H-Hai." I stammered as he set me on my feet. "Anou, anata wa dare desu ka?" My curiosity peaked. 'This boy, they looked so much alike… It's not possible for two people to look so similar.' Said boy raised his delicate eyebrows. He seemed surprised by my question. "Boku? Boku wa Asakura Hao."

Japanese translation

Sou de gozaru yo-That's right. ('gozaru' is an old term, usually used by samurais. Kenshin use this phrase a lot too.)

Yoh-dono-Master Yoh.

Neesan-Elder sister

Onegai-Please

Gomenasai-Sorry

Daijoubu desu ka?-Are you all right?

Kawaii-Cute

Musume-Actually means daughter, but the term for young girls (shoujo) didn't apply very well in that sentence

Totemo-Very

Kirei-Beautiful/Pretty

Sonna-In this case, it means 'That's much too high a praise.' Sometimes used to express disbelief

Chigau-It's not/It's wrong (to deny something)

Kochi-Here

Imouto-Younger sister

Oniichan-Elder brother

Nandato-What did you say?

Kisama-A rather rough way of referring to others, meaning you. Ren uses this term all the time. Also used to express anger at the person.

Kanojo wa hoshii-I want a girlfriend (Horo Horo always musing about this)

Nani-What/ In Manta's case, it means 'That's too much compliment.'

Dozo-Please (accompanied with action. Eg: please have a drink)

Arigatou-Thank you

Boku-A masculine term for I. Functions like Watashi.

A/N: Ne, ne, how was it? At the last part I put delicate eyebrows. I had no idea why. Guess Hao sort of presented a feminine image. Anyhow, I hope it could compensate for the lateness (but I highly doubt it) I'll try to update as fast as I can. Do review to let me know what you think. Arigatou gozaimasu! : )


	3. Meeting Again

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews.

cutieangel – Thanks for your review!

HMgirlKristi – Thanks for the review!

instantR – Wah! This is bad! There really quite a lot of holes in my language. Hehe, I really should stick to simpler words then. Thank you for pointing out all those mistakes. Honestly speaking, I only recently started taking Japanese classes, and my teacher has yet to teach grammar (I didn't even know you don't need to attach desu to a verb) Uu. I didn't mean to defile this beautiful language… Thanks again for enlightening me about my Japanese.

Helena-Jeanne-Chibi – Thankies! I'll keep that in mind!

For those who expect Hao to be the antagonist, you'll be surprised how much he changed. But Hao is Hao, so he can annoy some people to no end. Heehee…

Disclaimer: Hiroyuki-sensei owns SK, not me.

"…" talk

((…)) thoughts

**Bold **changes in scene/time

* * *

Chapter 3: Meeting Again

Asakura Hao. That was the name of the boy standing in front of her. He had midnight black eyes and really long brown hair. He also looked very similar to Yoh. ((And they have the same surname too.)) Shizu remembered her manners, "Arigatou gozaimasu, Asakura-kun."

"I'd prefer you to address me as Hao."

Shizu nodded. Hao may look like Yoh but the aura around him is rather different. While Yoh's was relaxed and warm, Hao had a detached coolness around him. "What were you doing at that kind of height?" Hao pointed up the tree, emphasizing his point. "Oh, I was returning a chick to its nest."

"That's a pretty serious fall." Hao observed. "Hao-sama!" Shizu turned at the sound to find a tiny er, person that rivaled Manta's size. With a headful of really bushy, curly hair and dressed in what seemed to be a large piece of cloth, Opacho hurried towards Hao. "Opacho." Said person latched immediately onto Hao and glared daggers at Shizu. "You better not hurt Opacho's Hao-sama!"

"Of course not. Hao-kun had just saved me." Shizu smiled at them. ((Is that a girl or a boy?))

"Opacho is a boy, in case you're wondering."

"Oh."

Shizu felt herself turning red from embarrassment. "Hao-sama, who's this person?" asked the little boy, the previous suspicion fading at her smile. Shizu kneeled down until she was level with him. "Namae wa Kibouno Shizu desu. Opacho desu ne? Yoroshiku." Opacho clung tighter at Hao's cloak. "Ne, Opacho, would you like to join me for tea?" Opacho frowned as he considered the offer deeply. At last, he nodded slowly. Hao was watching this exchange in an amused manner when Shizu looked up and smiled gently at him. "Would you like to join us too?" Hao blinked, surprised. Then, he smiled, "Tea sounds nice."

* * *

Shizu felt her life was going very well. She didn't face the friendless state she was afraid she would be in. In fact, life was offering much fun. Summer vacation will arrive soon, and Shizu looked forward to it. She would spend the day with Yoh and his friends, hanging around Funbari Onsen. At night, sometimes, Hao would accompany her as they star gazed. Shizu said nothing about meeting Yoh's duplicate to anyone. For some reason, she just felt that it was best not to.

* * *

The robed figure that was Hao sat with his back leaning on a tree, eyes gazing far into the horizon. A small relaxed smile was on his face, his mind wandering. Faithful Opacho stood by his side. Just suddenly, Hao shot up, body tense and alert. Opacho had wheeled around. "Hao-sama!" Hao nodded. It was barely there for a second, but it was a strong burst of furyoku. 

Opacho was quick to trace the furyoku. Hao followed wordlessly, his feet making soft crunching sounds, robe billowing behind him. Opacho led him to a cliff. Peering over the cliff, the shaman noticed how the edge had crumbled. The residue of the furyoku had already faded, and Hao had no choice but to make his way down. Amidst the rubble, Hao caught a glimpse of flesh, a hand. Hao moved closer. The sight made him freeze. Pale skin coloured red with blood, Shizu was sprawled on the ground.

* * *

**Shizu's residence**

Hao stared at the unconscious figure on the bed from the chair he was sitting in. Opacho was curled on his lap; the little one had drifted off not so long ago. Hao had done what he could with Shizu's bleeding head and broken leg. He just hoped that her brain did not sustain any damage, or that she had internal bleeding. Actually, Hao was rather surprised that the brown-haired girl managed to escape that fall with somewhat minor injuries. That kind of height would've been fatal for some. Midnight black eyes reflected the worry that he felt for the girl. Hao snickered inwardly. He, Asakura Hao, worried for a mere human. What a contradiction he was, a shaman who at first tried to vanquish humanity, now feeling concern for a girl.

Of course, it would be saying it rather unjustly if one took into account of Hao's past experiences. Yes, he did try to create a world for shamans. In the process, he had killed many, for the sake of being stronger. His existence had threatened humans, ordinary and with shamanic abilities alike. All for the sake of his ambition. And he failed. His plans were brought to a halt by no other that his own younger twin brother, Asakura Yoh. ((He was a fool.)) But Hao was grateful for this fool's actions. Yoh had the chance to kill him, but he did not. He only chose to break his Oversoul and cut away a large amount of Hao's furyoku. As a result, Hao was weakened and was forced to stay in isolation, waiting for a full recovery. The damage made to his spirit was far worse; Hao lived the first year in bitter spitefulness. It took three years for him to fully regain his furyoku, but in that time, Hao had gotten into a bit of self-reflection. Strange, how time can affect one so. Slowly, as his abilities recovered, his soul mended bit by bit too.

Hao laughed mockingly. He never thought this kind of thing will ever happen. Opacho squirmed slightly on his lap. The long-haired shaman stayed very still for a moment, and then let out his breath slowly. The child had been worried sick. Opacho was close to tears! A child's heart is pure, and it is capable of recognising other forms of kindness and purity. Opacho is particularly sensitive. The fact that he would cry over Shizu showed that the girl meant a lot to them. ((For a human girl, her heart is kinder than any other I've seen before.)) She had helped changed his perspectives. If his little brother were to see him in this situation, would he be surprised.

((Now, about the furyoku…)) There were traces of it at the broken cliff and around Shizu. ((Was she attacked by a shaman? But why? She's only human.)) Hao cast a glance at the brunette. ((Or could she be…)) Hao shook his head slightly. He didn't trace any battle aura. If Shizu was a shaman she would put up a fight. Was someone after her? ((I admit there's a certain strange atmosphere about her.)) More theories formed in Hao's head, each as unlikely as the previous ones. His eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, until he felt sleep overcame him.

* * *

"Ssshh!"

"Opacho wants to wake Hao-sama."

"He's still sleeping. Let's not disturb him."

Hao heard the hushed voices and stirred. Shizu was sitting up with Opacho at the foot of her bed. "Hao-sama, ohayou!"

"Ohayou. I'm sorry. Did we wake you?"

"Morning to you too. Ow…" Hao groaned and massaged his sore neck. "Sleeping in the chair was a bad idea." Shizu stated. "Opacho will get Shizu-sama and Hao-sama some water."

"Arigatou." Hao stood and stretched his limbs. "What about you? Feeling alright?" A small smile graced his features.

Shizu nodded. "Hai. I'm sorry for making you worry."

His eyebrows creased gently into a frown. "You know, that was a very dangerous fall. You could've gotten worse injuries. What happened?"

"I don't know. I was standing at the edge of the cliff when it just crumbled."

"You have a tendency to fall from high places." Hao said jokingly.

"I guess I do." Shizu tried to move. Instead, she winced as pain shot through her head and leg. "Don't try to move."

"I have school today."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're not going anywhere."

Just then, Opacho entered, balancing two glasses. "Shizu-sama, here." Shizu nodded her thanks. Hao accepted his glass with a smile. Shizu made a move to get out of bed but Opacho and Hao stopped her.

"You're staying in bed."

"Shizu-sama must rest if she wants to get better."

Shizu sighed. "Hai, hai. I can't win over the two of you."

* * *

**Funbari**** Onsen, a week later.**

"Yoh-kun, we haven't seen Shizu-san for a week already." Manta had a frown on his face. "I'm worried." Yoh nodded. He was worried too. "Wonder if Ren had seen her?"

"I haven't seen Shizu." Yoh and Manta looked up to see the Chinese shaman at the doorway. Manta sighed, "I hope nothing happened to her."

"Just go and look for her then!"

"Anna!"

"Anna-san!"

"Manta, you've been to her house before right?" The blonde folded her arms. "We'll just go knock on her door and see how she's doing."

* * *

**Shizu's residence**

"Shizu-san no uchi wa achira da." Manta pointed at the old house he had visited the other day. Yoh stepped up to the door and knocked. They heard a muffled sound and the door opened after a while. Yoh and his friends couldn't help gasping. Shizu was using a crutch to walk!

"Konnichiwa. Er, come in!"

"Shizu-san, what happened to you?"

"Here, let me give you a hand." Ren helped the grey-eyed girl to the living room and into an armchair. "What in the world…?"

"I had an accident and broke my leg." Shizu gestured for them to sit.

"No wonder we haven't seen you lately." Yoh said. Manta shook his head in disbelief, "You should've called us or something like that! How can you manage this place alone?"

"I don't want to worry you guys. Besides, I have a few friends over to help me out. I have a bigger problem…" lamented the girl. "I missed a whole week of school!" Manta reached into his bag, "I've got your notes, right here."

"Arigatou, Manta-kun! Since you're here, why don't you stay for dinner?" offered the brunette. Yoh and the others agreed.

Just at that moment, they heard the front door open. "Tadaima!"

"Ah, o kaeri!" All heads turned to the entrance. The sight that greeted them elicited gasps from the guests. For a moment, Yoh wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. For one, Asakura Hao was standing there, mirroring his expression!

* * *

Translation

Uchi - House

Achira - That way

Tadaima - Japanese equivalent of 'I'm home.'

O kaeri - Japanese equivalent of 'Welcome home.' (The polite form would be 'o kaeri nasai'

A/N: Heheh…this is all for this chapter…


End file.
